MAYOR BLOOMBERG, POLICE COMMISSIONER KELLY AND DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSIONER BURNEY CUT RIBBON ON NEW 121st PRECINCT STATION HOUSE IN STATEN ISLAND

First New Police Precinct on Staten Island Since the 1960s

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly and Department of Design and Construction Commissioner David J. Burney cut the ribbon today on the recently completed 121st Precinct station house in the Graniteville section of Staten Island. The precinct – Staten Island’s fourth police station and the first built on the borough in more than 50 years – serves the Willowbrook, Westerleigh, Port Richmond, Mariner’s Harbor, Elm Park, Port Ivory, Chelsea and Bloomfield communities and is the most environmentally friendly police facility in the city. The Mayor and Commissioners were joined at the station house on Richmond Avenue by Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro, NYPD Deputy Inspector and Commanding Officer of the 121st Police Precinct Terence Hurson, as well as other police executives and personnel.

“Over the past 12 years, we have made historic progress in fighting crime on Staten Island and in the other four boroughs, too,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Today, we are proud to formally dedicate the home of the NYPD’s newest police precinct – the first new precinct on Staten Island in more than 50 years. The new 121st Precinct is designed to meet the needs of the growing borough of Staten Island and is a major investment in continuing to reduce crime.”

“Nearly half a million New Yorkers call this borough home - more than double the number of people who lived here five decades ago. Two factors are responsible most of all for this transformation: first, the care and devotion of residents here, who’ve made Staten Island such a great place to live and work. Second, the commitment of our police officers to keeping this borough safe. The foundation of security they’ve laid has made everything else possible,” said Police Commissioner Kelly.

“The new precinct is not only improving public safety, it is bringing world-class architecture to Staten Island,” said Commissioner Burney. “This police precinct will use 25 percent less energy and 30 percent less water than comparable facilities, and is expected to achieve LEED Silver certification. May it serve the community well for decades to come.”

“Mindful of the local context, the design of this sustainable building is marked by a distinctive cantilevered second floor, which extends out to the avenue as a symbolic gesture of engagement between the NYPD and the community it serves. The building will not only serve as a model for sustainable design, but also expand law enforcement presence in Staten Island by cutting response times and relieving the workload of the existing precincts,” said Rafael Viñoly, Principal, Rafael Viñoly Architects. “The 121st Police Precinct Station House is an especially meaningful project for me and my team. We are honored to be part of such a vital undertaking for the NYPD and DDC.”

More than 200 uniformed and civilian personnel began working in the 121st station house this July, and the building is now fully operational. The two-story station is the first police precinct to be built on Staten Island since 1962 and complies with New York City’s sustainable design initiative. The building, designed to be energy efficient and reduce water use, features sustainable design, covers 48,797 square feet and is expected to achieve a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design Silver certification.

The 121st Precinct will also increase police visibility on the West and North Shores, and is designed to help decrease police response times. Since 2001, crime citywide has fallen by nearly 32 percent – including by more than 17 percent in the borough of Staten Island. This year, New York City is on pace to have the lowest numbers of murders at any time since comparable records were kept, with the number of murders in Staten Island down approximately 50 percent over the past 12 years.